Condenser



Patented July 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND B.' MILLARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTHWESTERN ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

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This invention relates to condensers and like apparatus for cooling vapor or generally to apparatus for interchange of heat; and relates more particularly to improven ments 4in that general type of condenser that is the subject matter of U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,427,611 Harry Edward Mc- Camy dated August4 29th, 1922. This application is companion to two other applications entitled Condenser, filed by me on even date herewith and bearing Serial Numbers 698,780 and 698,782. In the devices shown in these three companion applications I have set forth condenser structures that involve certain improvements over the art.' Some of those improvements are `common to all three` of these copending applications while others are specific to the form shown in one or another of these applications. For instance, in all three of said applications I have shown a condenser that may be built up of sections so that a condenser of any desired size and capacity may be readily assembled. These sections are preferably standardized as` to size and "shape and they are all made with inlets and outlets and controls for the'cool lluid in such a manner that the cooling fluid may be put through all of the cooling tube units in series relation, parallel relation, or a combination of the two. Furthermore, a feature that is common to all these devices is their symmetric construction with a regard to a longitudinal axis through the vapor passage, so that in setting up the sections and also in their use it makes no difference which passages are used as inlets or which are used as outlets for any articular section. Furthermore, it is a eature of .improvement common to this present application and the first one above mentioned that in the body of each sectionthere are cooling fluid passages in all four walls of the sections. In other words, the vapor passage is completely surrounded' by a jacket of coolin uid.

In t e application first above mentioned I have set forth a condenser structure similar in general to the condenser structure set forth in this present application, embodying condenser sections with longitudinal vapor passages, cooling lluid passages in the side walls of the sections, cover plates lli forming passages connecting the side wall passage with theyends of the cooling tubes, and a valvular controlling means within the body of the sections. to control intercommunication between the several side wall passages. In the present application the valvular controlling means communicating with the side wall 'passages are arranged exteriorl of the sections. For the purpose of explalning clearly the present invention I will explain one preferred and specific form of it and for that purpose I refer to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial Side elevation and partial vertical section of a condenser set-up, the sectional arts of Fig. 1 being taken on line 1-1 of lig. 2, and l Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

The condenser shown in these drawings is composed of three condenser sections secured together by their yflanges 10, and each condenser section including the body B through which longitudinal vapor passage C extends from end to end. Usually these condensers are set up vertically but that is not necessarily the case. I shall without restricting my invention thereto describe the condenser and each section as if set up vertically. In each condenser section a plurality of cooling tubes, divided into three units D, E, and F extend horizontally and transversely across the vapor passage C, the ends of the tubes extending through and being set in the end walls 11 of the ody. The tubes of each unit are preferabl operatively .divided into a number of ivisions as a, b, c, d, and e. A cover plate 12 covers the ends of the tubes of each unit, there being thus three cover plates (in this particular instance) on each end wall of each section. Each cover late hasdividing walls 13 so that the cooling uid that enters a chamber at one end of one cover plate passes in one direction through tube division a and then back in the opposite direction through tube d1v1- sion Z2 to the next chamber of that cover plate and then in the opposite direction through tube division c, and so on until the cooling duid emerges from the final tube d1- vision e into the last chamber of the opposite cover plate, at the corner of the condenser section diagonally opposite the corner different divisions or sections.

Y separate at which the cooling fluid first entered the first mentioned cover plate. For instance, if we assume that side wall passage 20 is in this particular instance an inlet passage, 'then the fluid that flows through passage 2O enters one cover plate through the opening 25 andafter passing through the various tube divisions and into the other cover plate passes through opening 26vinto the opposite sidewall passage 17. Each condenser section has in one side wall the horizontally'extending passages VY16, 17, and 18 and in the opposite side wall the similar passage 19, 20, an 21; and passages 16, 17 and 18 each have at one end a communication 26 with the chamber in a cover plate, land passagesl), 20 and 21 each have a communication 25 with a chamber-at the end of the other corresponding cover plate. Thus the various side -wall passages form with their corresponding cover plates and tube units, isolated passageways foriuid that are not interconnected within the body of the condenser section. Such interconnection is ef.

fected outside the body ofthe condenser section; and due to the general arrangement and construction of the sections, it is then easy to interconnect these several otherwise passageways into any relation that is desired. i

Each Wall passage 16 and 21 has 'an opening 27 to which a pipeconnection may 'be flanged, and such pipe connections may, as is obvious, be connected to the several sections or divisions of a complete condenser in such a manner as to run the same cooling fluid through all the divisions or sections or. so as to run different cooling fluids through times desirable, especially where the vapors are initially at a temperature above the boiling point of water to run oil or `other Huid through the hotter parts of the condenser and water through the cooler parts.' Thecondenser /may thus serve not only as a condenser but also as a heat exchanger between vapors and olls that are to be ,vaporized However, the most usual arrangement, at-

least for a greater part of a whole condenser set-up, is to run the same cooling Huid either .in series or in parallel or\in parallel-series through all the tube units; and I show in the It is some.-A

interconnected with each other in the many ner shown in the drawings so that they form in eiect a continuous interconnection of each series of valves from end to end. The uppermost valve 30'l may be arranged with a free fiangedA extension 33 for the purpose nof attaching an inlet or outlet pipe While a lowermost valve, at the opposite side in this particular case, 4may be arranged in the same way; anged elbow connections 35 being used as indicated where valves are not necessary. In each valve body there is a` three-way valve plug '36 which may be turned 'to connect valve extensions 3l with either of the extensions 32 and 33, or to connect 32 and 33 together either .with or without connection with '31. Thus, in one position of these valves it will be obvious that fluid may be passed through all of the tube divisions in parallel while in other positions of the valves, such as indicated in Fig. 1, the cooling fluid may bepassed .through all of the tube divi-sions in series. Further .description is not necessary to show that the valves may be arran ed 1n such a way as to getY a combinationo 'parallel and series arrarIi-gements. aving described a preferred form of my invention I claim A condenser comprising a plurality of condenser sections arranged in juxtaposition each h-aving a vapor passage therethrou h from end to end communicating with t` e vapor passage of adjacent sections, cooling tubes extending across the va or passages in each section, thetubes in eac section being -divided into aplurality of units, cooling fluid passages in the walls of each section, there being independent passages for and communicating with each tube unit and the -walls of each section having inlet and outlet o enings for the'passages of each unit, and i entic and interchangeable valvular mem-l bers exterior of the sections attached to the walls of each section and to each other and forming valve controlled communications between adjacent unit passages of adjacent sections.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29 day of FebruxirMlm.

RA OND B. MILLARD. 

